What goes around comes around and gets a new market sizing. You may have seen a rather giddy press release recently that sized the market for aging in place technology at a cool $30 billion by 2017.  The global market for elder care technologies will hit $7.2 billion by 2018 and as for home monitoring of seniors, the number of units of wearable wireless devices will climb from 3 million units (2011) to 36 million units by 2017, and users of family locator services (including PERS) will reach 70 million by 2016. It’s a good thing these sizings forecast three to four years from now. That will give everyone time to overcome barriers that hamstring utilization today -- like controlling the cost of device, figuring out who pays for them and will the target user actually be able to afford to use it/wear it to help them stay safe or will the doctor and supporting staff remain engaged to help the user keep their chronic disease(s) under control? >>> Read more . . .

Includes mobile platforms used as a medical device -- like an app that use a smartphone to detect abnormal heart rhythms.

Finding the visibility and network that your offering deserves.  We are entering the trade show season, so it’s time to make a few go/no go decisions. You have had your product (or new version) or service ready for the past months or year. Your pilots have been successful and you now know that professionals, prospects and early customers are pleased with what you’ve done. You’ve read Ten Tips for Launching a Product or Service. You have first focused on the local/regional events. Now make sure your offering – whether it is caregiving, health and wellness, home safety, learning, engagement or just plain fun – is well-received at events attended by prospective customers, resellers, referring professionals, possible partners, and adjacent product categories.  Consider this list of national events (listed in date order). Study prior exhibitor participant lists, learn about typical number and profile of attendees, booth costs, hotel and attendance fees. Note any (of many) innovation award opportunities, if not now, then for the future. If you are not that familiar with any of these, consider going once as an attendee -- before exhibiting. Comments about other events are, of course, welcome: >>> Read more . . .

Not really, but it sounds good.

Rounding up the recent technology launches – tech for older adults.  Catching up, here are few recent announcements from in-market companies.  A brief digression: I get a bit upset when I read about companies in the news that are  described as offering "SOLUTIONS" about products that are not ready, products for which they could be taking pre-orders, but basically there is nothing to buy. This is especially unfortunate in the category of PERS, where consumers expect a solution can address a fear of falling and being left alone. It is especially NOT okay for products that target the senior housing industry, where the residents may be very frail, where the companies are very cautious, and the industry is not known for leading with tech of any type, let alone one that is so new that it cannot be purchased.  So here are four new offerings – it is my belief/hope that all are available -- preventing a few others from being on the list. Content is from the vendors’ press information: >>> Read more . . .

ROSEVILLE, Calif., Sept. 10, 2013 – The newest remote care management offering from Care Innovations™ is now FDA-cleared to take healthcare into the home and beyond via a web-based patient platform, while also offering tools to engage family caregivers. By eliminating the need for hardware, the Care Innovations™ Connect RCM (Remote Care Management) client application may reduce the cost of remote care deployments by as much as 50 percent compared to device-centric solutions available today. >>> Read more . . .

VC Brad Feld envisions a world of wearable devices that record all kinds of intimate details about our lives.

Our bodies, our forecasts.  It's exciting. Mythical John X Wannabe will soon go to market with a wearable device – the “XLife Preserver” – designed to lower hospital costs, improve health, and entertain. It looks a bit like a Fitbit and mini television combined, and is worn clipped to a waist band or belt. It beeps every time a vehicle John is driving exceeds the lowest-available regional speed limit. It chirps when John steps off the curb to cross the street, screeches when John’s shoes are untied, and mumbles "Uh, oh" when he forgets to eat breakfast. When no one is looking, he can even unclip it and watch past episodes of House of Cards, read his e-mail, or check into Foursquare. >>> Read more . . .

Forget the shoe phone -- time to toss the smartphone, tablet, and Fitbit for a wrist time/tracker/health monitoring all-in-1?